Lunchtime Rut Busters Sneaky ways to make school lunches better, faster and cheaper

Lunchtime Rut Busters Sneaky ways to make school lunches better, faster and cheaper

We feel like we’ve been making school lunches for months and months and months yet the academic year is nowhere near over. How does that happen? To drag us out of our midday meal malaise, we talked to Kate McMillan, a caterer, cooking instructor and mother of three. Her new book (with co-author Sarah Putman Clegg) is called The Lunch Box: Packed With Fun, Healthy Meals That Keep Them Smiling ($12.23 at Barnes & Noble). Filled with smart, quick and budget-conscious ideas, you’ll get inspired—and so will your less adventurous eaters. (Get Barnes & Noble coupons.)

Interestingly, when asked for her biggest cost-saving tip, McMillan doesn’t talk about buying in bulk or whipping up affordable dishes like beans and rice (though those are both good ideas). Instead, she says that the worst money waster is when your kids toss out their entire lunch, uneaten. So goal number one is finding ways to inspire your children to actually eat a healthy and tasty meal. Here’s how:

Get them on board

If you’ve never had that pit-in-the-stomach feeling when your child comes home from school and is toting a totally untouched lunch, congratulations. But for the rest of us, it happens. Combat food fatigue by giving your kids a copy of The Lunch Box along with some sticky notes and let your children go to town, picking and choosing the stuff that looks the yummiest. The photo-heavy format of McMillan’s book makes that super easy and actually fun rather than chore-like. Or our expert says to take the gang to the supermarket or a local farmers’ market and challenge them to find a new ingredient to use. “There is a sense of pride when they try something new,” McMillan says. “They feel like a big kid.”

Front-load

“It’s exhausting,” McMillan says of the daily making-a-sandwich-while-getting-dressed-and-feeding-the-dog-and-checking-homework morning rush. “There isn’t time.” So do as much as you can ahead, and you’ll avoid falling back on the same old soggy, sad-sack sandwich every single day. That might mean making a big batch of McMillan’s Ham & Cheese Mini Quiches (see recipe below), freezing them and defrosting a few as you need them. On Sunday, make a big pot of soup and freeze individual portions, or if your kids eat them, cook a dozen hard-boiled eggs for an easy-to-grab protein option. And yes, we’re all wiped out at the end of the day, but if you can assemble lunches to refrigerate overnight or even start the prep in advance, it will make the morning madness less maddening.

Use leftovers

McMillan can’t stress this enough: Leftovers are your friends. That’s why a huge theme in her book is providing recipes that rely on leftovers—small amounts that might not seem like a lot but are plenty for a grade-schooler’s appetite. “It’s important to use those little bits and pieces; it adds up to a whole lunch for a child,” she says, suggesting parents “use leftovers in new and innovative ways.” McMillan’s Veggie Sushi Rolls recipe, for instance, was tested with rice from leftover Chinese takeout. Or think about that 1-ounce flank steak from last night’s barbecue. Your kid might not be thrilled to get a piece of leftover meat in his lunchbox, but that’ll change once you reheat the food and include a soft roll with melted cheese or put the meat in a whole-wheat tortilla with refried beans.

Like many parents, McMillan gives props to the totally cool bento-style lunch container trend. In The Lunch Box, she writes: “Just aim to make it a well-rounded hodgepodge: always combine a protein (think hard-boiled egg, tofu, chicken, or yogurt); a fruit and/or vegetable (such as grapes, cherry tomatoes, and carrots sticks); and an item rich in complex carbohydrates (try multigrain bread, whole-wheat pasta, or brown rice).”

And when possible, have fun with lunches and do something unexpected. Send in a dip for veggies, a healthy smoothie as a side and air-popped popcorn for a treat. With a bit of practice, you and your kids will find making lunch less of a chore and more of a cool challenge.

Ham & Cheese Mini Quiches

(Makes 12–16 mini quiches)

Prepared pie dough or puff pastry dough 1 sheet, thawed

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons heavy cream

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and ground pepper

1 ounce (30 grams) finely diced ham

2 tablespoons finely diced green or red bell pepper

1 ounce (30 grams) finely grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out until ?-inch (3 millimeters) thick. Using a 2½-inch (6 centimeters) biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible. Ease the rounds gently into the cups of a mini muffin pan. The edges of the dough should be flush with the rim of the pan. (You should have enough dough to line 12–16 cups. If needed, gather the scraps, roll out inch thick, and cut out additional rounds.)

Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). In a large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, cream, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Divide the ham and bell pepper evenly among the lined cups, and then pour the egg mixture into the cups, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of the cups.

Bake until the quiches are puffy and golden brown, 18–20 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of each cup and carefully lift out the quiches. If desired, place them in decorative paper baking cups. Pack into airtight containers and seal tightly. Refrigerate for up to three days.

(Recipe courtesy of The Lunch Box: Packed with Fun, Healthy Meals That Keep Them Smiling)

Freeze It!

Freeze remaining mini quiches to use for future lunches or afternoon snacks. Cool the quiches completely, wrap in plastic wrap or foil, and place in a zippered plastic bag. Freeze for up to three months. Reheat frozen quiches in the microwave on high for 25–35 seconds.

For more creative ways to get your kids eating healthy, check out our article Happy Meals.